I haven’t seen an official announcement from the league, but the Brett Hull Award goes to the BCHL’s points leader, and Smith’s 83 points were matched by Victoria’s Myles Fitzgerald, a fellow 20-year-old who has committed to Bemidji State. Fitzgerald produced 27 goals and 56 assists.

Other Brett Hull Award winners include former DU standouts Tyler Bozak (2007) and Beau Bennett (2010), who are currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively. Brett Hull racked up a league-record 188 points in 1984.

Smith, who attended Arapahoe High in Centennial and admittedly is a family friend, was captain of the 2010 Colorado Thunderbirds’ U16 team that won the state’s first Tier I, triple-A national championship. He previously played for Cedar Rapids and Chicago of the United States Hockey League, under the guidance of DU and the former staff led by George Gwozdecky, who was fired April 1.

This just in from The Hockey News and a University of Denver news release: The Pioneers are ranked No. 1 among NCAA schools with 10 NHL “top prospects” — current or former players who are expected to someday play regularly in the NHL.

DU has 10 of the 78 current or former college players on THN’s Yearbook list that includes the top 10 prospects in each NHL organization. In NCAA circles, Minnesota and Boston College were tied for second on THN’s list, with eight apiece.

I’m slow to accept new media like Facebook and Twitter. Not exactly my thing, throwing personal stuff out there, but I will say this: in my week of being active on Twitter (MChambersDP), I can see how fans really enjoy following their favorite celebrities and, from a DU perspective, how it can be a fantastic recruiting tool.

I follow former DU standouts Matt Carle (mattcarle25) of the Philadelphia Flyers, Tyler Bozak (Bozie42) of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Marc Cheverie (Chevdawgy) of the Florida Panthers’ organization, along with a couple other former DU skaters. They each often promote or tweet things about DU, Denver or their former Pioneers’ teammates. Throughout DU’s season, Carle was often tweeting about how DU was doing (and how CC was absorbing tough losses). Bozak’s profile description is “Former University of Denver Pioneer, playing in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs,” and he tweeted all last week about his drive from Toronto to his off-season Denver home and how excited he was to hang out with his former college teammates. Today, Cheverie — who also is spending the off-season in Denver — tweeted “Beautiful day in Denver!” and his profile picture is of him in a DU uniform.

So I got to thinking. Although DU is in a time where its recruiting “seems” easy — the Pios appear to be signing the pick of the litter — it wouldn’t hurt making sure their recruits see how proud guys like Carle, Bozak and Cheverie are of being a Pioneer, and how living in Denver is the greatest (it’s 72 degrees today here, what’s it like in Grand Forks, Madison, Minneapolis, Ann Arbor or Boston?). I’m not suggesting that future Pios set up a Twitter account today (that seems dangerous for some teenagers), but at least direct them to Twitter to make sure they understand the pride and beauty of playing hockey at the Hilltop. When you’re being recruited, current and former players are always going to say the right things. But what these guys are doing on Twitter is genuine. They are living their dreams of playing professional hockey, but they really seem to miss the place where they became men.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and University of Denver Pioneers practiced at the same time today inside the Ritchie Center. The Leafs were at Joy Burns Arena, the Pioneers at Magness Arena. With both Zamboni doors open, one team could see the other.

Afterward, Leafs forward Tyler Bozak planned to have dinner with Jesse Martin, Anthony Maiani, Kyle Ostrow and some other Pios, and wish the team well as it heads to Green Bay on Thursday morning to compete in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional. Bozak, a would-be senior, was a classmate with those guys. He signed with the Leafs after his sophomore season.

“I saw a couple guys last night, but we got in pretty late,” Bozak said before practice. “Today I’ve seen a couple of them and I’ll be hanging out with them after practice. It’s going to be fun.”

Toronto plays the Avalanche on Thursday at the Pepsi Center. It will be Bozak’s first NHL appearance in Denver.

“This one has been on my calender for a while now,” he said.

Asked how good DU would be this season if he had stayed in school, Bozak said. “Probably wouldn’t be in the tournament now,” he said with a laugh. “No, they look good and I’m glad where I’m at. Hopefully they’ll get another shot at North Dakota in the tournament.”

Bozak again plans on spending his summer at DU, skate with the guys and work towards his degree. He hopes to help celebrate an NCAA championship with the boys next month (or later if the Leafs make the playoffs).

“I think they’re going to win it. I think they have the team to do it,” Bozak said. “It’s tough, with the one game (elimination), but with their experience and skill with the young guys, they can do it.”

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Former DU star Tyler Bozak of the Toronto Maple Leafs will get a chance to visit with his old college buddies today after the Pioneers and Leafs practice separately at Magness Arena. Bozak, a second-year pro who would have been a senior at DU this year, plays his first game against the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on Thursday.

By the time that game begins, DU will be in Green Bay, host of the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional. The Pios are scheduled to fly out of DIA after a Thursday morning skate at Magness Arena.

I stopped by DU today to check out Day 3 of the hockey program’s inaugural “pro camp,” and what I found was a collection of the area’s best live-in hockey players.

The Pioneers, who have a record amount of alumni playing in the NHL and other professional leagues, opened up the Murray Armstrong Hockey Complex, their new weight room and Joy Burns Arena to any professional hockey player living in the area.

It was an impressive group, led by the Avalanche’s Kyle Quincey and David Koci, former Avs Ben Guite and Steve Reinprecht, and former DU stars J.D. Corbin, Rhett Rakhshani, Gabe Gauthier, Peter Mannino, Marc Cheverie, Joe Colborne and J.P. Testwuide. Some other big-name former Pios _ Paul Stastny and Chris Butler _ took the day off but are expected to participate Thursday. The Avs’ Cody McLeod also went golfing Wednesday.

“Anytime you can come out and play with some pros like Stastny, it’s a great opportunity,” said Colborne, the 6-foot-5 forward who signed with the Boston Bruins in March after his sophomore year at DU. “I’m glad to be playing with guys playing at a level I want to be at and it’s a great way to get prepared for training camp.”

Guite, who played in college at Maine and recently signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, said: “So many guys live here in the offseason, its crazy we haven’t all gotten together before. This is a lot of fun. Good skate.”

DU associate head coach Steve Miller and assistant coach Derek Lalonde are running the camp. They worked with the pros from 10:15 a.m. to noon, and then left the ice after a resurfacing to allow the guys to scrimmage for an hour with amateurs. The amateurs were DU seniors Kyle Ostrow, Anthony Maiani, Dustin Jackson, Chris Nutini and John Ryder, and sophomores Matt Donovan and Paul Phillips.

“It’s a good experience for all of us here to play at that level, at that tempo,” said Ostrow, the newly named captain. “The games have been really fast. It’s nice for us to get that opportunity to get ready for the season.”

Ostrow and company said the most impressive players were Stastny, Butler and Quincey. But there sure weren’t many goals scored on Mannino and Cheverie.

“It’s fun to back with everyone,” said Cheverie, who signed with the Florida Panthers in April, ending his three-year NCAA career. “Playing with the older guys makes feels like you’re a freshman again . . . It’s beneficial to get back into the swing of things.”

The “older” guys Chevy were talking about included Ryan Dingle, Tom May and Geoff Paukovich, who was freshman in DU’s 2005 NCAA championship season.

Wednesday’s skaters also included Garnet Exelby, who played 51 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and recent DU graduate Brandon Vossberg.

Hockey fans are welcome to watch the camp, which continues Thursday and ends Friday.

DU’s Steve Miller, who has long been known as George Gwozdecky’s top assistant coach, has been promoted to associate head coach. This might just be window dressing for compensation purposes or to remind other schools with previous head-coaching vacancies what they passed over. Somehow, “Killer” hasn’t landed a head-coaching job in his 16 years at DU, including two NCAA championships, yet he’s watched two of his understudies — Rico Blasi and Seth Appert — land head positions at Miami and RPI, respectively. The new title might help with that. Regardless, the promotion is long overdue. A couple years ago we made Killer our weekly “Q & A” and I wrote that he was the obscure “architect” of DU hockey. I truly believe that. Since, some friends jokingly addressed him as “Architect.” Now, it’s associate head coach. I still prefer Architect, and it will always be Killer.

FROM DU: University of Denver veteran assistant hockey coach Steve Miller has been promoted to associate head coach, two-time National Coach of the Year George Gwozdecky announced today. Miller has served as Gwozdecky’s assistant coach for the last 19 seasons – including all 16 at DU since 1994-95. Miller was also a member of Gwozdecky’s coaching staff at Miami University from 1991-94.

“Steve Miller has been a trusted friend and confidante for 19 years,” Gwozdecky said. “He is recognized as one of the finest recruiters, coaches and teachers in all of college hockey. Steve is highly respected by our former players as well as many of our rivals. He is a major reason that the Pioneer hockey program continues to contend for championships every season and is truly deserving of this opportunity and title.”

Miller has been a force as a recruiter and coach at DU. He has helped the Pioneers capture two NCAA titles, three WCHA regular-season titles and four WCHA playoff championships since 1999. Miller has recruited NHL standouts Paul Stastny (Colorado Avalanche), Matt Carle (Philadelphia Flyers) and Tyler Bozak (Toronto Maple Leafs) to Denver and has been responsible for the signing of 13 consecutive nationally-ranked recruiting classes. Miller has coached and recruited 36 NHL Draft picks, 42 All-WCHA honorees, 11 All-Americans, nine World Junior Championship participants, two Frozen Four Most Outstanding Players (Adam Berkhoel and Peter Mannino) and one Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner (Carle).

“It’s been a pleasure to work side-by-side with one of the top assistant coaches in college hockey,” DU assistant coach Derek Lalonde said of Miller. “I’ve learned a lot from Steve in my four years at DU and he is worthy of this promotion.”

Denver has averaged over 23 wins in Miller’s 16 years at Denver, including nine NCAA appearances and two NCAA titles. The Sun Prairie, Wis., native was honored in 2009 with the prestigious American Hockey Coaches Association’s Terry Flanagan Award, which recognizes an assistant coaches’ career body of work.

In advance of next week’s NHL draft and my vacation, here’s an early look at DU’s three draft-eligible, full-scholarship incoming freshmen — each of whom might be selected in the first two rounds. If these guys don’t get you excited about next season’s “rebuilding job,” keep in mind that the Pios’ two other star newcomers — F Nick Shore and D David Makowski — are not draft-eligible but could be the best of the bunch.

The 6-foot-1 Bennett, 18, tied for the BCHL scoring title with 120 points (79 goals) in 56 games. He amassed the league’s most points since former DU star Tyler Bozak of the Toronto Maple Leafs had 128 in 2007. Bennett is the only BCHL rookie to reach 100 points in the past seven years. . . . Bennett grew up playing for the L.A. Junior Kings and was a member of the 2006 under-14 national-champion California Selects.

In 60 combined games for the U.S. under-18’s USHL squad and international team, Zucker amassed 53 points (29 goals). He was tied for first in goals and fifth in points. He was the youngest member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. World Junior team and figures to be a unanimous pick for the all-star squad this year. . . . At DU he will likely continue to play with fellow incoming freshman Nick Shore, his setup man with the USNDP. (Shore, 17, isn’t draft-eligible until next year.)

Brittain, 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, will be the second straight 18-year-old, full-scholarship goalie to join DU in coach George Gwozdecky’s 17-year tenure. He was originally scheduled to begin college in 2011, but will come early after All-American Marc Cheverie signed with the Florida Panthers to forgo his senior season. . Brittain’s stats last season weren’t very good _ 3.27 GAA and .896 saves _ but he played for a below-average team. . . . He should thrive under DU’s proven development system.

This is a longer version of what’s running in tomorrow’s paper. The main difference below is the addition of Bozak’s view on possibly playing with or against many of his former DU teammates in the NHL. It reminded me about how so many NHL-bound DU players were drafted by Eastern Conference teams. — MC

Former University of Denver star Tyler Bozak, a rookie with the Toronto Maple Leafs, learned on Friday that he would not have to spend the NHL’s Olympic break playing for the Leafs’ top minor-league affiliate. It was surprising news, given that club’s two other first-year players straight out of college _ Viktor Stalberg and Christian Hanson _ were sent to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

Bozak, who has 11 points (three goals) in 16 games with the Leafs, was free to go wherever he wanted. Mexico? Europe? Maybe Vancouver to catch the Olympics?

“I was immediately thinking first flight to Denver,” Bozak said.

After playing the Blues in St. Louis on Friday, Bozak flew to Denver and attended the Pioneers’ series finale on Saturday against Minnesota. He intends to spend the rest of the week with his former teammates.

“I’ve been looking forward to coming back here for a long time,” said Bozak, who signed with Toronto last spring, after his injury-shortened sophomore season at DU. “I was hoping to get the break, and lucky enough I did. I didn’t know what they were going to do, because I’m on a two-way (contract). They have the option to send me down. But I’ve been playing pretty well up there, getting lots of minutes and putting up some numbers. I’m grateful to get the break and come back here. I’ve been following the team, and to see how well they played (Saturday) was unbelievable.”

Second-ranked DU won 5-1 Saturday to complete its first 4-0 regular-sweep over the Gophers. When Bozak was a freshman, the Pioneers actually did better than that. They went 4-0-1 against the Gophers, winning the fifth game 2-1 for the WCHA playoff championship in St. Paul, Minn.

Bozak had extraordinary success against Minnesota, with nine goals in seven career games. He had a goal in every game, including his first career hat trick early in his freshman season. DU didn’t need him last weekend, but Bozak said he often wonders about how much fun he would be having with the Pioneers this season.

“I think about it all the time, but I’m really happy with where I am and what’s going on,” he said. “I absolutely miss it here but I know I’ll be able to play with or against some of these guys in the future.”

Footnotes. WCHA-leading DU needs one point to clinch home ice for the first round of the league playoffs. . . . For the first time in its 61-year history, the Pioneers finished the regular season a combined 8-0 against Minnesota and North Dakota.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.